Google Home encourages full smart home control with ‘custom routines’

Google may be set to open up even more control of smart home commands to users of its Google Assistant helper.

Code found in the latest beta release of the Google app suggests that custom Routines (the smart home instruction tool kits that let a single command trigger multiple device functions) could be soon rolling out to the system as a whole.

Routines already exist within the Google app, but are limited to presets to be tweaked, rather than having the option to build them from scratch as looks set to be offered here.

Complete control

Custom Routines would give the user the ability to program a series of events to play out with a given trigger word, such as turning the heating on and closing motorized blinds for ‘movie time’.

Other new features that could be set to hit the general release of the Google app includes sticky sporting result cards during crucial games for teams that you follow, and new gesture controls for the Pixel Buds.

As ever with beta tests, there’s no guarantee that these features will get a general release. But custom Routines have long been requested by those living in Google’s smart home ecosystem, so here’s hoping that one makes the cut.